Lifestyle

As of April 2017, 47,738 children across Japan were on waiting lists to get placed in a certified daycare center, with particularly long lists in Tokyo, Okinawa, Chiba and Oita. In households across Japan, families are tearing their hair out, trying to find childcare so that mothers can get back… Read

Plenty of videos offer glimpses into Japan’s beautiful scenery or vibrant culture, with some even letting viewers take a cool virtual 360-degree tour around popular sightseeing spots.
But for those who want more than just tourism, and crave history or insights, those videos are harder to come by.
But one YouTube channel, Geography Now,… Read

It happens in so many workplaces — two colleagues begin a romantic relationship. But a heightened awareness about sexual harassment means small business owners can get more anxious when employees start dating.
Many owners have consulted with employment attorneys or human resources professionals since the accusations against movie executive Harvey… Read

Wang Zhuyin studies 10 hours a day preparing for a series of tests to obtain a U.S. physician's license. But like millions of young Chinese adults, the 26-year-old has found a new way to cope with the pressure: an online game about a frog.
A frog that's perpetually on vacation.… Read

It is a marriage made in heaven for cute-obsessed Japan: this Valentine's Day, lovers can present the object of their affection with a world first -- naturally bright pink chocolate.
The KitKat store in the glitzy shopping area of Ginza in Tokyo is a riot of wall-to-wall pink, as marketing… Read

During Oshogatsu — the New Year, Japan’s biggest family holiday — American YouTube star Logan Paul set off international controversy by posting a video of himself encountering a dead body inside a Japanese forest. The forest goes by the name of Aokigahara. It formed out of a devastating volcanic eruption that… Read

Ironically, one of the coolest things about Japanese vending machines is that they dispense hot beverages during the winter. Your options aren’t limited to tea or coffee, either, as machines stocked with warm cans of soup can also be found all over.
So it’s a little sad when spring rolls around and most… Read

As a manga artist, there are two signs that you’ve made it big. The first is when a major publisher decides to serialize your work in one of its manga anthologies, and the second is when said serial has enough chapters and a big enough fanbase that the publisher puts out a tankobon,… Read

A library without books? Not quite, but as students abandon the stacks in favor of online reference material, university libraries are unloading millions of unread volumes in a nationwide purge that has some print-loving scholars deeply unsettled.
Libraries are putting books in storage, contracting with resellers or simply recycling them.… Read

Feeling lonely and lost after a yet another farewell party? Here are seven tips from foreign women on what you can do to find your purpose in Japan even after your support group is all gone.
I closed the door behind me, dropped my bag on the floor, and collapsed… Read